Bruges Trains Staff in Kindness: Alderman Marchal Supports 3,000 Dementia Patients

Bruges (Eurotoday): Bruges, aiming to be dementia-friendly, created training videos for hospitality staff, emphasizing respectful interactions. Alderman Pieter Marchal highlights the importance of small changes for the 3.000 residents with dementia.

The city of Bruges has made short, 1-minute training videos to help catering staff serve customers with dementia in a kind and respectful way. One video shows a man trying to pay a 3.50 euro bill but mistakenly giving three 50 euro notes. The waiter notices the mistake and politely takes one 50-euro note, saying, “I’ll be right back with your change.” This helps avoid embarrassing the customer while making sure the payment is correct. The video highlights the importance of treating customers with dignity in sensitive situations.

How is Bruges supporting dementia-friendly training for hospitality staff?

In another video, a customer gets lost while looking for the restroom. The waiter notices and quietly helps by guiding the customer in the right direction without making it obvious. This shows how important it is to use body language and clear words to assist customers with dementia. The training videos aim to teach staff how to create a friendly and supportive place for all guests, encouraging kindness and understanding in the hospitality industry.

Bruges is working to become a dementia-friendly city, especially in restaurants and cafes. Alderman Pieter Marchal says visits can be tough for people with dementia, so they created training videos to help staff understand how to support these customers. Small changes can make a big difference without much extra effort. There are about 3,000 people with dementia in Bruges now, and that number is expected to rise.


Comments

5 responses to “Bruges Trains Staff in Kindness: Alderman Marchal Supports 3,000 Dementia Patients”

  1. Ah, Bruges—where they’ve swapped the chocolate for kindness training videos, proving that even the most befuddled customers can be treated like royalty, as long as the staff don’t accidentally hand back the wrong change while cooing in gentle Belgian tones; it’s all in a day’s work for Alderman Marchal and his merry band of dementia-friendly hospitality warriors!

  2. Bazooka Har-de-har Avatar
    Bazooka Har-de-har

    Ah, Bruges, where kindness is now a mandatory training module for hospitality staff—because clearly, the real challenge of serving a hot chocolate to someone with dementia is just too much for the average waiter without a one-minute crash course, right?

  3. marigold loot Avatar
    marigold loot

    Ah, Bruges, where the canals are picturesque and the hospitality staff are now moonlighting as dementia whisperers—who knew that a €3.50 bill could turn into a masterclass in kindness, proving once again that here, even our training videos are more cultured than your average soap opera!

  4. Spider Fuji Avatar
    Spider Fuji

    Ah, Bruges, where they’re training staff in kindness as if it’s a revolutionary concept, because nothing says “welcome to our charming city” quite like a waiter who can tactfully handle a 50-euro mix-up while guiding a lost soul to the loo—what a novel idea, maybe next they’ll teach them how to smile!

  5. Ah, Bruges—where they’ve decided that kindness training for hospitality staff is the answer to dementia care, because a one-minute video is obviously the magical elixir that will turn your average waiter into a veritable Florence Nightingale, all while navigating the complexities of a three-euro-fifty tab without breaking a sweat or a dignity!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Europe’s Trump Whisperer Doesn’t Buy US Cuddly Pivot

Europe’s Trump Whisperer Doesn’t Buy US Cuddly Pivot

His remarks followed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech in Munich, which referenced Make America Great Again themes by emphasizing the shared heritage and Christian values between Europe and America, while also affirming European countries as U.S. allies.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, a Trump ally, also emphasized in an interview with POLITICO: “The Americans are not le

Read More

Ukraine Power Grid Attack Escalates Energy Conflict, Kyiv 2026

Ukraine Power Grid Attack Escalates Energy Conflict, Kyiv 2026

Kyiv, Ukraine, February 7, 2026 — Eurotoday observes that the Ukraine power grid attack carried out in the early hours of Tuesday marked one of the most extensive strikes on electricity infrastructure this year. Missiles and drones targeted high voltage substations and generation facilities near Kyiv and across central regions, triggering emergency shutdowns and widespread power disruptions. Ukrai

Read More

Madagascar: ‘Overwhelming’ Destruction, Growing Needs After Consecutive Cyclones – WFP

Madagascar: ‘Overwhelming’ Destruction, Growing Needs After Consecutive Cyclones – WFP

In Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, WFP Country Director Tania Goossens reported that approximately 400,000 people are experiencing acute humanitarian needs after two cyclones hit within three weeks. She recently returned from Toamasina, the country’s second-largest city, where Cyclone Gezani struck with winds up to 250 km/h.
“The destruction is overwhelming,” Ms. Gooss

Read More

Bitcoin Price Drop Shakes Crypto Market in New York 2026

Bitcoin Price Drop Shakes Crypto Market in New York 2026

New York, United States, February 7, 2026 — Eurotoday Newspaper notes that a sharp Bitcoin price drop dominated global financial discussions on Thursday as cryptocurrency markets faced renewed selling pressure during early U.S. trading hours. The decline unfolded amid heightened volatility, heavy trading volumes, and cautious investor sentiment, underscoring how digital assets remain sensitive to

Read More

Five European Governments Claim Russia Killed Alexei Navalny with Frog Toxin

Five European Governments Claim Russia Killed Alexei Navalny with Frog Toxin

The five countries stated in a joint announcement on Saturday that poisoning was “highly likely the cause of his death.” According to British officials, scientists from Porton Down, the U.K.’s top secret laboratory, were crucial to the conclusions.
Navalny, a persistent adversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was filmed at a court hearing the day before his death, appearin

Read More

Elder Gilbert, Newest Apostle, Meets the Media

Elder Gilbert, Newest Apostle, Meets the Media

“There’s a mix of trepidation and joy, two feelings that don’t usually coincide,” said Elder Clark G. Gilbert, the latest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as he begins his role in the second-highest governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Gilbert, the Church’s education commissioner, was appointed to the Quorum on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, after th

Read More

Palestinians in Gaza Face Survival Challenges in 2026

Palestinians in Gaza Face Survival Challenges in 2026

Gaza City, February 7, 2026 — Eurotoday highlights scenes unfolding across Gaza where Displaced Palestinians gather at aid points in growing numbers, waiting for clean water and warm meals as the humanitarian situation continues to strain daily life. With infrastructure damaged and essential services stretched thin, survival routines now define mornings, afternoons, and nights for families living

Read More

Top Trump Official Denies US Slush Fund for Far Right in Europe

Top Trump Official Denies US Slush Fund for Far Right in Europe

The message from Rogers seemed to be another indication of the Trump administration attempting to send conciliatory signals to Europe, despite the recently published National Security Strategy urging the U.S. to “cultivate resistance” to the political status quo on the continent. It came just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for a “strong and revitalized Europe” on the Munich stag

Read More

Syria Transition Advances with Kurdish Deal Amid Ongoing Violence and Humanitarian Strain

Syria Transition Advances with Kurdish Deal Amid Ongoing Violence and Humanitarian Strain

In his first briefing as Deputy Special Envoy, Claudio Cordone highlighted the ceasefire and integration agreement on January 30 between the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as a potentially transformative step.
The agreement outlines a gradual military and administrative integration of northeast Syria, including plans for returning displaced people and protecting Kurdish

Read More

US Steel Tariffs 2026: Washington’s Industrial Strategy Transformed

US Steel Tariffs 2026: Washington’s Industrial Strategy Transformed

Washington, February 13, 2026 — Eurotoday Newspaper — The national debate surrounding US steel tariffs 2026 intensified this week as lawmakers, trade advisers and manufacturing leaders evaluated potential adjustments to long standing import duties shaping America’s industrial framework. Policymakers indicated that a structured reassessment is underway, signaling that trade strategy remains central

Read More